"Salute valour of brave men, women": EAM Jaishankar extends wishes on UN Peacekeepers Day
May 29, 2024
New Delhi [India], May 29 : Extending wishes on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Wednesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that he saluted the valour of the brave men and women serving in the conflict zones.
Jaishankar, in a message posted on social media platform X, also remembered those who have made "supreme sacrifice" while carrying out the missions as part of the UN peacekeeping forces.
"On the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, salute the valour of the brave men and women who dedicate themselves to maintaining peace and security in regions affected by conflict," the External Affairs Minister wrote on X.
"Honour especially the memory of those who have made the supreme sacrifice in carrying out the cause of @UNPeacekeeping" he added.
https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1795644321829658654
According to the UN, the International Day pays tribute to the service and sacrifice of peacekeepers and the resilience of the communities that they serve. It honours the more than 4,000 peacekeepers who have lost their lives serving for peace.
This year's International Day, is observed under the theme "Fit for the future, building better together."
It honours the vital contributions that civilian, military, and law enforcement peacekeepers have made over the last 70 years, according to the UN.
Earlier today, an Indian peacekeeper deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who helped establish networks for local people to voice their security and humanitarian concerns, was announced the winner of the 2023 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.
Major Radhika Sen served in eastern DRC with the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, from March 2023 to April 2024 as the Commander of the Engagement Platoon for the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion.
The UN announced on Tuesday that she will receive the award from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a ceremony on Thursday (May 30).
Guterres congratulated Major Sen for her service, describing her service as "a true credit to the United Nations as a whole."
Major Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive the award, following Major Suman Gawani, a co-recipient for 2019. Other past honourees were from Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
India is currently the eleventh largest contributor of women military peacekeepers to the UN, with 124 now deployed.
